Switzerland is a tiny country up in the Alps. Switzerland is western Europe's oldest democracy (yes, Greece is the world's oldest democracy, but Greece is in eastern Europe). the Swiss were very tied to their customs and mostly stayed sedentary. the people were German, French and Italian, so when they came to America they were often confused for Italians, Germans and French(and also the fact that the Swiss tended to settle with other French and Germans, etc.). those who came, came to escape unusual village customs, arranged marriages and lots of land. since they heard of the vast land, they tended to settle in places such as Ohio, California, Oregon, etc.